Vehicle Remarketing Logo

‘Crash for Cash' Demolition Derby at Charleston Auto Auction Raises $17k for National Kidney Foundation

MONCKS CORNER, SC - Beginning August 28th and running through October 9th, Charleston Auto Auction held its "Dealer Stimulus Promotion," which culminated in the first ever "Crash for Cash Dealer Demolition Derby" on October 8th.

by Staff
October 23, 2009
3 min to read


MONCKS CORNER, SC - When Charleston Auto Auction and the National Kidney Foundation of South Carolina team up for a promotion, good things are bound to happen. Beginning August 28th and running through October 9th, Charleston Auto Auction held its "Dealer Stimulus Promotion," which culminated in the first ever "Crash for Cash Dealer Demolition Derby" on October 8th. The whole event was sponsored by the National Kidney Foundation of South Carolina, and included two special "absolute sales" featuring NKF donated vehicles.

"The only words to describe this event are that it was literally a 'smashing success!' exclaimed Chris Wise, National Remarketing Manager for Charleston Auto Auction. "When everything was said and done, and the smoke had cleared, we raised almost $17,000 for the National Kidney Foundation of South Carolina!"

Ad Loading...

Wise explained that the donations came from proceeds of NKF-donated vehicles, as well as from cash donations and collections taken during the demolition derby.

"The dealers and participants in the demolition derby were very generous in their support of the National Kidney Foundation," said Wise. "Even our auctioneers and ringmen entered a car in the derby…won…then donated their winning prize money back to the NKF. It was a special gesture on their part, one that the auction and our customers appreciated."

Wise noted that many of the vehicles crashed during the derby were also sold for scrap, and that money was donated to NKF as well.

The "Crash for Cash Dealer Demolition Derby" attracted over 1000 spectators, who watched 16 demolition derby entrants compete for over $5,000 in cash prizes. Dealers were encouraged to bring their families and co-workers, and everyone was treated to an outstanding BBQ dinner with all the fixin's and plenty of cold beverages to boot. The exhibit included many vendors and sponsors of Charleston Auto Auction who displayed their goods and services in the "Midway" section of the event. There was also a booth that allowed everyone some "STRESS RELIEF" by smashing a car with a sledge hammer for $1/hit. All monies went to the Kidney Foundation.

Two auction events were also held in conjunction with this promotion. Thursday October 8th marked a special evening frontline ready sale featuring late model, ready for retail units. The following day, Friday October 9th, featured Charleston's first-ever Dealer Stimulus Sale. Both days featured over 1300 vehicles, 600+ dealers and $50,000 in Cash & Prizes. Prizes were given away to "stimulate" both dealers' and wholesalers' bottom-lines, including $15,000 in cash, billboard advertising, radio advertising, newspaper advertising, PC's, Laptops, netbooks and Black Book subscriptions.

Ad Loading...

"With so many dealers telling me that the demolition derby was the coolest thing they have ever seen, and with the Dealer Stimulus Sale being a huge success, you can be sure next years event will be even bigger and better," stated Keith Lelux, owner/managing partner of Charleston Auto Auction. "We're proud to be affiliated with the National Kidney Foundation of South Carolina and the outstanding work they do throughout the state."

Charleston Auto Auction is a member of the ServNet Auction Group. It holds a sale every Friday at 10 am, with a damaged and disabled sale on the 2nd and last Friday of every month at 9:00 am. For more information about Charleston Auction, and to view a video of the event, go to

Topics:Operations

More Operations

Image of three award winners at 2026 CAR
Operationsby Faith HowellMay 6, 2026

2026 CAR Awards Celebrate Industry Excellence

CAR’s annual Fleet Remarketing Awards opened a reimagined 2026 conference designed to bridge the worlds of fleet management and automotive remarketing.

Read More →
A man standing in front of transparent tech screen with a the outline of a delivery truck.
TechnologyMay 1, 2026

The Predictive Pivot: How AI and Data Are Redefining Auto Logistics in 2026

AI is no longer a luxury but the baseline for profitability in 2026. Auto haulers that adopt these tools now will quickly outpace those that use manual workflows or take a wait-and-see approach.

Read More →
collage of conference speakers
Operationsby Chris BrownApril 30, 2026

CAR 2026 Recap Part 2: Closing the Gap Between Data & Remarketing Value

The second half of CAR 2026 examined how fleets can translate lifecycle strategy, vehicle data, and market shifts into higher real-world results.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Collage of CAR speakers
Used Vehicle Valuesby Chris BrownApril 27, 2026

CAR2026 in Two Words: Velocity, Value (Part 1)

The 2026 Conference of Automotive Remarketing convened with a mandate to involve a new constituency — fleet managers — and an updated mission to demonstrate unrealized value in de-fleeted vehicles.

Read More →
Graphic promoting CAR 2026 roundtables featuring headshots of five speakers and topics including Wall Street trends, fleet data, upfits, fair market value, and AI in remarketing.
Operationsby Chris BrownMarch 31, 2026

CAR 2026: Get the Wall Street Update on the Key Players in Remarketing

From a Wall Street analyst's take on remarketing's key players to whether fleets need their own version of Carfax, CAR 2026's afternoon roundtables will answer key operational and industry questions.

Read More →
Promotional graphic for CAR 2026 panel on data-driven value in commercial vehicles, featuring five industry experts and session details for April 16 in Cleveland.
Fleetby Chris BrownMarch 31, 2026

CAR 2026 Session to Uncover the Missing Data That's Costing Fleets at Disposal

Work trucks lose value at remarketing, not because they aren't worth more, but because the data to prove it rarely makes it to the auction.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
A rental car rolling through a UVeye overhead vehicle inspection terminal.
Operationsby News/Media ReleaseMarch 13, 2026

TSD Mobility, UVeye Partner On Automated Vehicle Inspections

The enhanced technology allows rental car operations, dealerships, and auctions to compare a vehicle’s condition at pickup and drop-off within the same rental or loaner record.

Read More →
Graphic promoting a CAR 2026 conference session showing four speaker headshots above the title “What Really Moves Vehicle Value Now — And What Doesn’t” with automotive conference branding
Operationsby Chris BrownMarch 11, 2026

CAR 2026: What Really Moves Vehicle Value Now — And What Doesn’t

A panel at the 2026 Conference of Automotive Remarketing will examine how resale value is created across the vehicle lifecycle and which traditional remarketing practices still deliver ROI.

Read More →
A collage of two photos of day cab trucks above a checklist for maximizing resale values.
Used Vehicle ValuesMarch 1, 2026

How To Maximize TCO and Resale Value in Day Cab Fleets

Smart operational and spec'ing decisions can dramatically improve both the total cost of ownership during use and the resale value when it's time to remarket day cabs.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Image of rows of cars and a shopping cart.
Used Vehicle Valuesby Chris BrownMarch 1, 2026

How to Drive Better Returns on De-Fleeted Vehicles in 2026

Smart remarketing begins before vehicles enter the fleet, and is built on strong data and stronger FMC partnerships.

Read More →